Left Behind [open]

[Ruby]

She had never been left standing.

She had never been left standing.

Caden could not get her mind around what had just happened. Her brain understood it, yes - eight dragonets had hatched and impressed, and none had come to her. Her brain got it, but she couldn't understand. She'd only stood once before, and she’d left that hatching with Smath, ready to embark on a two year journey with a dragon at her side. The idea that some Candidates hadn’t impressed was abstract at best, and Caden had never been good with abstract ideas. Now, that abstract idea was her life.

It was clear that she wasn't actually sad about this - no tears had been shed, no temper tantrums thrown - she just didn't know where she fit. She had no ties to the Barracks, and as much as she had been encouraged to go into tanning, she really was too old. Caden had never worried about things like 'home' or 'fitting in', but she always had something to do, and now there was no one to tell her how to go on, what to do with herself. Even Sel was being affected by her owner's mood, slumping listlessly as Caden oiled her instead of chattering and frisking playfully. Caden had even escaped her room this morning without even a single hint of green, something she hadn't managed since Impressing.

Too soon, though, the oiling was complete, and Caden found herself without a task once again. She contemplated going out to the tannery, but it was already past dinner time. If she went out there now, she'd have to turn right around - curfew was in less than an hour, and Caden was never late. With a 'huff', Sel climbed up Caden's sleeve, taking up a fairly standard position on her bonded's shoulder, peeking out of her shirt collar.

Caden capped the oil on the table in front of her and leaned back, staring blankly at the Barracks' common room ceiling. Life had passed her up, and she hadn't been able to do anything about it. You can't force impression, she knew that; but her job, as a Candidate, was to impress. Not to fail.

She had failed. So what now?

[heisokufire9]

Ashlyn sighed. It sucked being left standing. She was getting over the disappointment but it was a bitter pill to swallow. She was walking down the halls of the candidate barracks when she saw a light from glows in one of the rooms.

'Someone new?' she wondered then shook her head. No that room belonged to another candidate. Ash couldn't remember her name off the top but she knew it was a girl. An obvious fact since they were in the girls wing of the candidate barracks. She poked her head into the room and noticed the girl looked lost.

"Hey you okay?" Ash asked her blue eyes concerned. If the girl was upset over being left standing Ash understood completely.

[Rowana]

Nabrik tip toed down the hall, more from habit than because he was planning anything. Besides, the art of pranks meant never missing an opportunity. If you're targets heard you coming, the element of surprise was ruined. He probably didn't have to be sneaky, though. The barracks were quieter now that half the candidates were gone to be weyrlings. He couldn't say he wasn't disappointed not to be among them, but he was also excited. Now that he was a true candidate, he could stay with the older boys and girls and was given responsibilities just like them. Granted, responsibility sucked and he avoided it where possible, but he respected Emoyan too much to ignore it completely. The Candidate Master was one of the few adults he'd met who treated him with respect, so he tried to return it in kind. Anything to keep from being denied the chance to stand for the next hatching.

A girl's voice echoed up from the common room and Nabrik frowned. He hadn't talked much with the girls before now. Most of his sisters had been frightful, silly things who constantly nagged him about how dirty he got. Beyond that, he didn't know much about them. Maybe he was too young, but he just never understood how girls thought. At least with boys, he could see where they were coming from. Rounding the corning, Nabrik spotted the pair. Only one of them actually looked like a girl, the other looked like a boy, but they were both several years older than him at least. No surprise there, almost everyone was.

They not happy, Alph observed in a whispered. He leaned out over the boy's head to see. He seemed thoughtful and concern, liking nothing better than to sail over and offer comfort. Go and meet? he suggested amiably. Nabrik glared up through his messy hair. "Don't be silly," he hissed. "They're older!" In his experience, older kids liked nothing better than to pick on him. He didn't intend to give them the chance. Alph side, his wings drooping down around the boy's ears. He couldn't disobey, that would be quite rude, but sometimes he wished his little bonded wasn't so stubborn.

Path, however, had no such reservations. Having followed her master down from his bunk, she pricked up at the thought of getting someone besides Nabrik to pay attention to her. With a pleasant woof, Path trotted happily out to the two older candidates. "Path, no!" Nabrik groaned, covering his face with his hand. The little, terrier canine ignored him and went up to Ashlyn and raised a paw, clearly hoping for a friendly pat or two.

[kat]

Directions should only have to be given once. She had paused long enough to ask for directions to the Candidate barracks before shifting her pack further back over her left shoulder and following said directions. Orders should only have to be given once, not repeated. Same with directions. Things were stricter back home than here but that didn't change anything. The same things that had been drilled into her back at Lighttower still stuck here. It made her efficient, she supposed.

Alex had to go through the common room to get to the female's side of the barracks. She heard the voices long before she arrived. The voices of two girls and then the exasperated voice of a boy. Calling to some pet, she assumed. 'Path' sounded like a dragon's name. But she doubted said dragon would be in the barracks. Pet was a better assumption. This assumption was soon a fact as she came into sight of the room. A small canine could be seen at the feet of one of the two girls.

She entered the common room and eyed the other occupants. A feminine looking young man who probably had a lighter voice and thus had been assumed female, a girl, and a younger boy. That and the canine, but she wasn't particularly interested in someone else's terrier. Animals and pets were interesting in their own right but not what she was here to inspect.

"Hey," she said shortly, walking over to the long seat and shirking off her pack so that it dropped lightly to the floor beside it. Then she eyed the three people again, eyes resting for a moment on the boy who had a hint of 'pretty' to him for a moment before she spoke again. "I'm Alex," she offered, watching their faces and body language. First impressions were everything, right? At least they could tell you a lot about someone. She pretty much decided what she thought of someone--or at least most of it--based on the first meeting. Later impressions could be altered or formed but for now this was it. Their 'audition' to her, as it was.

She sat on the arm of the chair opposite the older boy so she could see everyone in the room equally. It never hurt to keep everyone in your sight. That way she could see all of their reactions at once. She was already taking silent notes in her mind. Just based on how they stood, moved, dressed, looked...her mind often tactically took a memo of people in this manner. She noted another creature with the youngest boy. Was that a firelizard? But no...something was amiss. If it wasn't a firelizard, then what was it? She figured she would find out soon enough, but she could definitely feel curiosity piquing.

[Ruby]

((Heisoku - Caden looks like a boy, just FYI ))

Caden's reverie didn't last long. Within moments, Sel had hopped out of Caden's collar and disappeared Between without a trace, no doubt on her way to hide a pretty rock or shell somewhere near the bunk of whoever was coming. Well, at least they'd have something nice when they got back to their room, Caden mused - she wasn't likely to be great company right now. Not that she ever was.

Before she could even start clearing up the mess of oily rags, a girl rounded the corner. Caden recognized her vaguely as someone who had been on the Sands when Jingth's clutch had hatched, but didn't know her name, or anything about her, really. She really had failed at meeting her fellow candidates, Caden realized. She also realized she'd already started replying to the girl. "Okay? I.. uh.. yeah." That was good enough, right? Did it even make sense? "Thanks?"

There, that would do it. Turning her attention to folding up her rags, Caden raised an eyebrow at the canine, but otherwise ignored her in favor of the boy who was apparently her owner. He was a tiny thing - was he even old enough to be a Candidate? "Are you even old enough to be a Candidate?" Oops, she hadn't meant to say that out loud. At least she hadn't sounded hostile, just curious. And hopefully the other girl didn't think Caden was talking about her, she was obviously old enough. Argh, she hated social things.

And it only got worse. Caden almost put a hand over her face when yet another person decided she looked fun to talk to - or maybe it was the other girl; she certainly looked welcoming. Instead, Caden blinked at the so-called Alex two or three times before summoning her wits and cramming her voice into its lowest octaves yet again to reply, "Hey," with an upward jerk of her chin. Stunning conversationalist, this one. Then, with a self-conscious tug at her over-sized man's shirt, she returned to packing up, looking for an escape. If her eyes returned to the little boy every once in a while, she didn't ask why. She never did, anyway.

[heisokufire9]

Ashlyn nodded as the feminine looking boy replied though she guessed he was actually a she from her voice. She was a bit startled by the appearance of a terrier at her side wanting attention but she smiled and bent down to pet the dog.

"Hello there. Aren't you a cutie." she said stroking the little dog's head. She glanced up to see a young boy who looked too young to be a candidate coming over.

"Is she yours? She's cute." she said. The boy did look too young to be a candidate but he had the knots on his shirt so she assumed he had been cleared by the candidate master. She glanced over at the new girl who'd also come in.

'Well this room is getting popular.' she though and felt sort of bad for the original occupant of the room. She looked rather uncomfortable with all the people there. She glanced up at Alex smiling a bit.

"I'm Ashlyn but you can call me Ash." she introduced herself.

[Rowana]

Great, just great, now another girl had arrived. Nabrik eyed the newcoming with suspicion. He still wasn't sure what to expect from females. He'd mostly avoided or ignored them in the past, but in a room with two of them, that was getting hard. Then the first "boy" spoke and Nabrik stared in undisguised shock. This one was a girl too! Shard it all, he was surrounded! Maybe retreat would be best, before they all decided to treat him like a baby or something. Path, however, was still enjoying the attention, and Nabrik couldn't just leave her in the hands of the enemy.

"She's not cute..." he started hotly, but the words died on his lips. His "fierce canine" had decided to roll over in case Ashlyn would be willing to scratch her belly too. If she'd been a cat, she would have purred with pleasure. Nabrik rolled his eyes at her, and turned his attention to more important things. Determination over coming nerves, he took a full step into the room and stood with his arms crossed stubbornly. "I am too old enough!" he declared loudly, his eyes daring them to argue. True, Caden didn't sound mean, but the boy was prone to overreactions, especially since this time it was actually true.

Introductions didn't really interest him. He had no intention of giving his name unless they asked for it. He was still debating whether to leave, but it had suddenly occurred to him that since he was a Candidate too, why should he? Surely he was entitled to be here just like they were. He was going to have to meet girls sooner or later. Still, three at once, and was that first one really a girl? She/he still look more like a boy. Nabrik didn't dare ask. Instead, he watched the newest girl, Alex with intense eyes. He was sure he knew her, but how was that possible? She'd obviously just arrived and no one from home would be caught dead here, would they?

Feeling that the order to not talk had now been lifted, Alph was more than happy to offer his own greeting to the three girls. He stood full and tall on Nabrik's head. His spiky, angry looking appearance was in sharp contrast to the cheerfulness of his voice. Alph is pleased to meet, he announced. His head bobbed in a miniature bow of politeness. He noticed Alex looking at her, and offered her an extra glitter of his eyes in return. He wasn't used people looking at him with such interest.

[kat]

Alex was still eying the little creature on Nabrik's shoulder when suddenly it spoke. Not many things could catch her off guard or surprise her these days. Hearing something she'd thought was some kind of mutated firelizard--and how right she would be!--speak? Her eyes widened, unable to hide her surprise. It had a name? Alph? Suddenly her mind held quite a few questions for the kid who had just announced quite hotly that he 'was too old enough'. Not surprised on that account. Shortness existed and so did people who looked younger than they were. She might have pegged the boy for about nine or ten but obviously he wasn't. Twelve, oldest. No way he was more than twelve. Then again maybe she'd be proven wrong?

"Shards, that ain't no firelizard," she commented, stating the obvious but more meant to catch the apparent owner's attention. She also didn't miss that neither the effeminate boy--who she still couldn't help but be unsure about--or the younger boy had given their names. She noted that the elder boy seemed like he wanted to make a quick retreat. Shy around girls? Or was it something else? Well, she didn't care whether the guy left or stayed. Still, she hadn't gotten a name.

"Don't believe I caught your names," she pointed out airily, and then to Ashlyn, "Ash it is then." She glanced down at the terrier and then looked back over at the boy. He bore a striking resemblance to someone she'd known at Lighttower. A relative, perhaps? "She have a name?" Jerking her head towards the canine in question she tried to think of whom he reminded her of. Certainly he was at least five years younger than her. No one she would have recognized as a peer. It had to be someone's cousin, brother...but whose? It was like having something on the tip of her tongue but just not quite remembering the word.

She was most interested in his creature, whatever it was. Not a firelizard, but even smaller than. It could talk but its sentences were broken down in a way that made her think whatever it was couldn't formulate the kind of sentences either humans or dragons could. She really wanted a better look at it. Obviously it had a higher level of intellect. Was this thing one of a kind? Were there more like it? Fascinating was an understatement. Would it allow her a better look? Would the boy? If yes, she would certainly like one.

[Ruby]

It was Nabrik's response to her question that cracked Caden's face into a half smile, which she immediately smothered. Having been something akin to a young boy once herself, she knew that a smile would make her next words condescending, and that was the worst possible thing she could do. Keeping her tone flat (and her voice low - her cover might be blown already, but she could still try) she nodded at him and said, "Ok. Sorry for being rude."

When the Salamandyr's voice entered her mind, Caden shivered a little - she hated those things, she'd realized, shoving their words into other people's brains without so much as a by-your-leave. They seemed to plague the southern Weyr, and every single time their voices entered her mind she had to check behind herself, convinced that Smath would be there. But she didn't want to make the boy any more upset, so she bobbed her head in reply, grumbling, "You, too, Alph" at the mandyr.

And then Alex asked for her name. Caden hadn't even realized she hadn't given it - they had all seemed to know exactly who she was, and she now had two names out of three. Alright, she figured it was only fair to give her own in return. She'd have to work with these people in lessons, after all.

"Caden," was all she offered, though, keeping it simple. Then, without any further bother, she returned to folding her towels, squeezing any extra oil back into the bottle. She barely had a mark to her name; she couldn't be wasting even a drop. Once this was cleared up, she could announce that it was late and they should all go to bed...

[heisokufire9]

Ash obligingly scratched the terrier's stomach and was a bit startled when the Mandyr on the boy's shoulder spoke. She wasn't used to that type of communication. Then she smiled.

"Well it's nice to meet you too." she said to Alph as the teen straightened. It would be nice to know the dog's name but that would have to wait. She had chores to do. And it was better not to put them off.

"Well I'll see you all around. I've got some chores to do." Ash said. She didn't want to leave but she also didn't want to get scolded by the candidate master. So she was opting for the lesser of two evils this time around. She was sure she would see the others around though since they were candidates.

[Rowana]

Nabrik supposed he could give his name. It wasn't like it was a big secret or anything. He just hadn't gotten around to it yet. He knew his manners, of course. His mother had taught him proper. But he found them pointless half the time so more often than not he forgot them. "Nabrik," he offered grudgingly. "That's Path." He pointed at his canine. Path grunted with pleasure. She rolled back over and licked Ashlyn's hand affectionately in thanks. Did she have to go? She gave such good scratches.

Alph bobbed his head happily to get such a welcome response, even Caden's less enthusiastic one. He didn't say anything more for the moment. For the most part, he preferred being quiet and thinking before he talked. Someone had too, when Nabrik just blurted out the first things that came to mind. He was eying Alex still, trying to place her face. Her name hadn't helped much, but he'd never taken much time to remember names of the older kids. If she really was from home.

Shrugging, he glanced at Ash. "Leaving already?" he asked curiously. He didn't think they had chores right now. Though, if they did, he didn't mind being late. He tried not to skip them entirely though. He had promised Emoyan he would be a proper Candidate. No more sneaking around and messing with Queens for him. At least, nothing so obvious as before.

[kat]

Was it just her or did the guy--who might not be a guy--seem over eager to be done and gone? The only one who seemed really friendly was Ash. Not that she needed overly friendly people to deal with. She didn't fit that category unless it was someone she was really close to. And groups of people you didn't know did not define close in any way. Still she thought she caught the boy looking at her with something akin to recognition. That settled it.

"Do I know you? You look familiar," she pointed out. It was obvious he was thinking the same thing. Only he was quite a few years younger, once again. No one she'd have hung around. "You from Lighttower?" she asked blatantly. It was better to be to the point. Even if it was unlikely anyone from that particular Hold would be here? She was. It proved that not everyone could think alike. She'd have to hand it to the boy if he'd defied the norm and left, though kids did dream big. Some bigger than others...

She nodded to Ash as she announced she was leaving. She wondered if it was because the present company wasn't winning any prizes for being interesting or engaging. Well, nothing doing. She hadn't expected so many to show up as was. She was still curious about Alph but first things first. Nabrik, as he'd announced himself, was what she was most curious about now.

[Ruby]

Caden nodded at Asylyn's self-dismissal, her eyebrows pulling together for just a second. She must have left her chores late tonight, but it happened. In a last ditch effort to make conversation, Caden replied, "Yes, you should get those done". Good, way to draw her in and feel included, rather than sent away. Well, Caden had never been great at reading social cues, and she was always a supporter of doing your chores on time. Well, she was now, anyway.

The mention of Lighttower between the boy - Nabrik, Caden substituted, making an effort to remember names - and Alex had the candidate interested, however. She knew almost nothing about Southern holds and politics, and while she doubted the information would ever prove important in her life, she figured she might as well learn something about her new landscape. It would make her presence here less suspicious, even if it seemed unlikely that Selenitas would ship her back to her old master.

Clearing her throat to draw attention to herself when there was a pause, Caden cut in, "Where is Lighttower?" She hadn't thought about how bad it would look to be so obviously from the North, but what was said was said, and she couldn't take it back now. Hopefully these candidates didn't have any prejudices.